system Index U-Z
Up 'N Down
Grade: B
Publisher: Sega (1984)
Posted: 2003/11/21


screenshotIt's a shame that Up 'N Down is so rare, because it's genuinely fun and there's really nothing else like it. Driving a Volkswagen Bug up a vertically-scrolling screen, you must collect a set of flags as quickly as possible -- while avoiding oncoming traffic. The view is from a slight angle, giving the game a pseudo-3D look that was pretty nifty back in 1984.

The diagonal roads are single-lane only, but you can adjust your speed and switch lanes where the roads intersect. When faced with a head-on collision, you can either jump over the oncoming car, or jump on top of it -- smashing it for points. Just be careful not to jump when approaching a turn, or you'll fly off the road and crash.

Complicating matters are inclines which require momentum to climb, and descents which speed you up. Later stages even have bridges that look surprisingly good. Obtaining all the flags isn't difficult because the roads loop, so when you pass a flag you know where to position your car on the next lap. Up 'N Down is a tough game that requires skill. If you can find a copy, it's a nice addition to your collection. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 1
High score: 14840
1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Flag Capture (Atari 2600)
Up 'N Down (Atari 2600)
Super Bug 2 (Arcadia 2001)
Cruis'n World (Nintendo 64)
Dodge 'Em (Atari 2600)

Venture
Grade: D+
Publisher: Coleco (1982)
Posted: 2022/2/8

screenshotI have a lot of fond memories of playing this over a friend's house as a kid. I love the concept. Venture is Dungeons & Dragons boiled down to its most basic elements. You enter a room. You kill monsters. You collect treasure. The simplicity is beautiful. Each room has its own unique treasure and set of monsters, although they do eventually repeat.

Each "map" features a set of rooms you can navigate between by steering a little dot past wandering "hall monsters". Each room you enter has a unique layout, and some even contain traps or hidden walls. You'll face goblins, skeletons, serpents, spiders, and hydras just to name a few. Since the creatures are all basically the same size, the "dragons" look more like yapping dogs.

You control a happy face with a bow and arrow. Taking aim at monsters is much easier said than done because the controls are terrible! Especially when trying to fire diagonally, I feel as if I'm fighting with the controller the entire time! Part of the problem is the inexplicable split-second pause that occurs whenever you change directions. Also, instead of maintaining your position, holding in the fire button causes you to edge towards your target. This is a serious problem because most of the time you're operating in close quarters.

When you shoot a monster the image of the creature shot with an arrow looks cool, but don't touch the corpse or you will die. Just wait for it to disappear instead. Venture's fun graphics and harmonized music are charming, which makes the poor controls all the more difficult to accept. What should have been a fun romp feels like an exercise in frustration. © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 3
High score: 70,800
1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Venture (Intellivision)
Venture (Atari XEGS)
Venture II The Abysmal Abyss (Atari 2600)
Wolfenstein VCS: The Next Mission (Atari 2600)
Venture (Atari 2600)

Victory
Grade: C+
Publisher: Coleco (1982)
Posted: 2001/11/18

screenshotVictory, a standard space shooter, resembles a slow-paced Defender. It requires the Coleco Roller Controller. Why? Apparently because of the four "action" buttons required to thrust, shoot, shield, and detonate smart bombs. This control scheme actually elevates what would otherwise be a mediocre shooter. Your mission is to prevent aliens from overrunning a planet, and you're aided by a Defender-like scanner.

The graphics are lousy, with aliens which look like simple shapes, and weak explosions that resemble flashing asterisk symbols. The animation is choppy and the collision detection doesn't always work very well. Still, Victory is fun in spite of itself. The shield and smart bomb controls add an extra level of strategy, and you'll also need to keep an eye on your fuel. Using the roller ball to aim your ship takes some getting used to, but it works. Not bad. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 3
High score: 195950
1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Defender (Atari XEGS)
Defender (Game Boy Advance)
Defender II (NES)
Nova Blast (Colecovision)
Killer Satellites (Atari 2600)

War Games
Grade: A-
Publisher: Coleco (1983)
Posted: 2000/8/4

screenshotMost movies make for horrible video games (and vice versa) but War Games is an exception. It's actually a fine game that effectively captures the spirit of the film. It's like playing Missile Command on six screens at once - with a time limit! You flip between 6 maps, each displaying a section of the United States. You'll see enemy missiles, planes, and subs approaching, and must direct your forces (missiles, planes, subs, and satellites) to intercept them.

Each type of defense has its own strengths and weaknesses. Missiles are fast, but limited in range. Planes have unlimited range, but move slowly. Satellites are the best all-around defense but are only available intermittently. As enemies begin to strike targets across the U.S., DefCon indicators begin to count down, increasing the tension level. The graphics are sharp and resemble those of the movie. Control is excellent, even with the Roller Controller. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 4
High score: 1370000
1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Missile Command (Atari 5200)
Missile War (Arcadia 2001)
Arcade's Greatest Hits: Atari Collection 1 (Playstation)
Missile Command (Atari 2600)
Patriots (Vectrex)

War Room
Grade: C-
Publisher: Probe 2000 (1983)
Posted: 2000/11/12



screenshotGet a load of the manual for this game: "War Room is a simulation of the computerized war game scenarios played out at the highest level of the world superpowers. It is an extremely graphic and realistic representation of a nuclear confrontation between the United States and Russia". Give me a break.

War Room plays a little like War Games. You have to shoot down incoming enemy missiles while balancing resources between cities around the country. The graphics are pretty good, and the huge, scrolling map of the U.S. is especially impressive. Each city provides a resource such as food or raw materials.

You can collect resources from each city via a simple cat-and-mouse game where you control an Uncle Sam character trying to grab icons before the two Russian symbols touch him (reminiscent of the treasure room in Dragon Fire). Problem is, while you're running around like a chicken, missiles are headed for your cities. They're not hard to shoot down but they will overwhelm you. Apparently there's some subtle strategy to this game -- which I haven't figured out yet. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 1
High score: 13020
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Mouse Trap (Atari 2600)
Missile War (Arcadia 2001)
Dragonstomper (Atari 2600)
Food Fight (Atari 7800)
War Games (Colecovision)

Wing War
Grade: F
Publisher: Imagic (1983)
Posted: 2003/1/4


screenshotI thought for sure I'd love this game, if only because it was made by Imagic and features flying dragons. But Wing War is just awful despite some very respectable graphics. You control a big white dragon that gathers crystals and battles monsters. Flying between contiguous screens, you can explore underground areas or soar through the clear blue sky.

Fantastic scenery includes volcanoes, beautiful lakes, and floating islands in the sky. By pressing the right button you flap your dragon's wings, giving you the same kind of control as in Joust. Pressing the left button lets you shoot fireballs. A nice variety of enemies include spiders, bat, griffins, demons, and hydras. Unfortunately these creatures are all tiny and single-colored, and most are more annoying than dangerous.

Your main goal is to carry crystals back to your lair, but these are easily jarred loose along the way. Sometimes the crystal falls out of your reach, forcing you to go back and track down a new one. That's the main problem with this game - you spend most of your time flying through the same screens over and over; trying not to touch anything. It's not fun at all - just slow and tedious. Since there's no ultimate goal, the whole game seems pointless. Wing War may be easy on the eyes, but once the novelty of the graphics wears off, there's not much depth. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

High score: 3025
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Dragonstomper (Atari 2600)
Space Ace (CD) (Jaguar)
Spelunker (NES)
Meteoric Shower (Colecovision)
Sir Lancelot (Atari 2600)

Zaxxon
Grade: A-
Publisher: Coleco (1982)
Posted: 2004/6/12



screenshotIn 1982, Zaxxon took the gaming world by storm. Its isometric viewpoint was revolutionary; compared to the "flat" graphics of other video games of the time. Your spaceship must navigate floating space fortresses fortified with walls, force fields, rockets, cannons, and fuel depots. At first it can be hard to determine the position of your ship, but by using the altitude meter on the left side of the screen (and watching where your shots go) you develop a feel for it.

Coleco was fortunate to get such a visually appealing game for its system; I bet this game single-handedly sold a few hundred thousand Colecovisions. Its graphics are faithful to the arcade, although slightly choppy. In terms of difficulty, Zaxxon is definitely above average. It's tempting to fly low and shoot everything in sight, but this puts you in the range of cannons. You gotta love a game that "dares" you to live dangerously - who can resist?

It should be noted that Zaxxon is one of the earliest games to feature a "boss" at the end of each level. It's a relatively large robot (Zaxxon himself) that appears briefly -- and is easy to defeat. One thing I don't like about this game are the "open space" sections where you have to shoot a series of approaching ships. Without the ground below as a point of reference, it can be awfully frustrating to determine if you're on a collision course with them. Otherwise Zaxxon is pure arcade shooting fun, and there's really never been another game like it. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Recommended: 3
High score: 22,900
1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Zaxxon (Sega SG-1000)
Zaxxon (Atari 5200)
Zaxxon (Intellivision)
Zaxxon (Atari 2600)
Strategy X (Atari 2600)


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